Hayward – The Experience

When an outsider thinks of Wisconsin, they might think of endless forests with no sign of civilization in sight, or untamed wilderness unknown to all but a few lumberjacks and hunters. To me, it’s much more than that. Our forests are not boring, and finding civilization up north is much more abundant than you might think. Two national and multiple state forests are indeed the highlight of the northwoods, along with the countless lakes, abundant wildlife, and wild rivers that our northern half provides are, in my mind, the best part of the state. I might be biased, but I truly believe that every family, nay, person, in the state should spend at least one week in the northwoods per summer to experience what our state truly is. It can be rough in a tent, cozy in a cabin, or a combination, but every human needs to get out of the city for a bit. See the stars, breathe in the freshest of air, see animals you rarely get to see, hear the wind in the trees with nothing else around. You’re not living the Wisconsin life until you do. As a kid, my parents owned a small cabin in the Pembine/Dunbar area, and when they sold that, they made sure to take my siblings and me up north on an annual or semi-annual basis to get back to what matters in this state. We’ve bounced around between the Eagle River, Tomahawk, and Minocqua area before finally settling in a routine near the Hayward area. So with a bit of experience under my belt in terms of Hayward, let’s focus on the experience of this region of our northwoods.

If we’re going to discuss the northwoods, we’re going to have to define them. Everyone has varying opinions on this, so we’re going to try and be unbiased here. Some people label anything north of Hwy. 29 as the northwoods. Others save that designation for lying north of Hwy. 8. From my multiple conversations with people and personal experiecne though, we’re going to split the difference and go with the approximate line drawn by Hwy. 64. This is a line drawn roughly from Hudson to Marinette. Essentially, if you hit one of the following cities/towns in between those two metropolitan areas, you’ve reached “up north vibes”: Coleman, Mountain, Antigo, Merrill, Medford, Cornell, and New Richmond. When you reach any one of these cities, the farms give way to pines. The blacktop replaced with that classic red pavement. The trees just a little greener, the sky more blue, and the air more crisp. At least that’s what it seems to me when I reach this imaginary line.

The further north you get, the smaller the towns get as well. Save for Hudson, Marinette, Merrill, Superior, and Ashland, most of these towns aren’t that big. So when traveling to the northwoods with a family, perhaps the middle of nowhere won’t cut it. But fret not, for you do still have plenty of options to be near enough to a town with the basics should the need arise. Minocqua, Phillips, Prentice, Tomahawk, Rhinelander, Eagle River, Park Falls, and Hayward all seem to fit the bill for popular destinations that aren’t too far from a hospital/grocery store/window-shopping-main-street. The eastern portion of our state might be a little more frequented than the western, with Hayward seeming to stick out as the big gun for the western half of the northwoods. For the past 12-15 years I’ve been coming up to this region, so let’s get into it.

Hayward is famous in the state of Wisconsin for a few things. First, the largest cross country skiing race in the continent, the American Birkibeiner, is hosted every February in Hayward. So if you’re an avid cross country skier, Hayward should probably be on your bucket list to not only witness the event but also participate in the numerous cross country ski trails. The Chequamegon Fat Tire bicycle race is also one of the biggest mountain bike races in the nation. For all you mountain bikers, add this to your list as well. The largest pow wow in North America takes place nearby, put on by the Lac Courte Orielles band of Ojibwe. And that’s all without even mentioning (yet) the fishing here. Hayward is a state-wide fishing destination for all that love the sport. The world’s largest muskie is located at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. If I had to make a top 10 destination cities in Wisconsin, I’d have a hard time not putting Hayward on the list for all those reasons and more.

With Hayward being a northwoods town, most people aren’t coming up here for just a weekend, they tend to make a week out of it. Which is what you should be doing, but it also gives you plenty of time to do and see it all. Let’s start with recreation… what is there to DO up here? Remember, every trip should have at least one day dedicated to nature. Whether that’s hiking, boating, fishing, etc., please dedicate a full day, even if it has to be short increments spread out over multiple days, you (and your family) need to reset mentally, and the great outdoors are the best way to do this. Taking advantage of the northwoods scenic beauty is a no-brainer. Hayward borders the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This offers an insane amount of camping opportunities, or cabin rentals if you need water and a bed. Dozens of hiking trails nearby and even more lakes and rivers for boating/fishing/canoeing/kayaking. You’d have to try to not find some sort of outdoor recreation in this area. Two must-do’s in the area include Copper Falls State Park (about an hour east of Hayward) and Morgan Falls/St. Peter’s Dome (about 45 minutes NE of Hayward). Amnicon Falls State Park is also about an hour north of Hayward. And if you’re not willing to drive those long distances, the area directly surrounding Hayward still offers plenty of lakes (Nelson Lake being the big one here) and hiking trails. Biking (single track and mountain biking trails in general) and TONS of cross country skiing trails as well. ATV trails in the summer and snowmobile trails in winter, you’re not going to hurt for outdoor activities.

However, we all have that ONE family member that doesn’t like the outdoors. Doesn’t want to hike in the forest because of bugs. Doesn’t like to be in a canoe for whatever reason. Hates the campfires full of smoke. Just doesn’t appreciate nature. The good news is Hayward still has options for those people. A casino for the adults that like to win money, a great downtown main street strip for those adults that like to shop, a brewery, two wineries, a couple top notch golf courses, and a very underrated lumberjack show. Ya I bet you were just saying to yourself how you wish you could see modern day lumberjacks up north. Well look no further, Hayward has you covered. And let’s be real, part of going up north for a week is also to reconnect with family. And you can do that in your cabin/tent/rental too. Bring some board games, open the windows, and have some fun. I promise you playing your favorite card and board games is indeed better up north. Perhaps the up north vibes make the games more fun, or maybe it’s the relaxed attitudes of everyone, but a game of cribbage, euchre, and even monopoly just feel more enjoyable up north.

In terms of critiques, I don’t have much for Hayward, except for one thing. Their museum. The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. I was not impressed. I’m also not a big time fisher so maybe those of you out there that are die hards think differently about this place, but I just didn’t appreciate it. Perhaps I had too high of expectations, but I didn’t learn as much as I wanted, and I was left feeling empty. I will do a post shortly with my suggestions on how to improve the museum that I’m sure no one will read, but I’d like to have a better museum here. If you want kids to appreciate nature, our state, and our planets most important resource – fresh water, you need to not only educate them but show them how everything works and explain why this matters. Museums, when done right, can do this. So stay tuned for that post in a few weeks.

To wrap up, if you’re on the fence about a week up north, or unsure of where to go, I highly suggest the western part of our northwoods, near Hayward. Try it out. If you’re not a fan, you lose nothing. But it could be life changing.